Senior Co-Manufacturing Manager

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow. At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives. Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. *This role will be part of a new 50:50 joint venture for Nestlé's waters and premium beverages **This position requires an onsite presence in Arlington, VA, Tuesday-Thursday when not traveling POSITION SUMMARY The primary purpose of this role is to manage business relationship and serve as the main point of contact for Co-Manufacturing sites including all technical, operational, commercial and financial aspects of a group of contract manufacturers, while also recognizing and driving opportunity for growth through innovation and renovation project ideation and execution. This role requires an entrepreneurial mindset with an ability to work collaboratively with the commercial/marketing side of the business in an ambiguous space; thinking creatively to explore new product portfolios and processes, discover new manufacturing capability and technology, and work in an accelerated manner that allows the company to continuously win with the consumer. JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Responsible for business relationship and main point of contact for Co-Man sites (technical, operational, commercial and financial). Responsible for ensuring site adherence/compliance to all Contracts, Agreements and Co-Manufacturing Standard. Manage all operational and technical aspects at a group of Contract manufacturing sites, including ensuring supply (planning through invoice), compliance with Nestlé Quality policies and procedures (example QA HACCP and GMP's), management of Nestlé product specific information (product specifications, material specifications, certifications, etc), maintenance of SOP's and training. Provide strong onsite support for managing operations as the main point of contact working directly with site leadership and Nestlé cross functional teams. Ensure that a continuous improvement plan is in place to provide the lowest total delivered costs within the agreed to quality parameters. Ensure proper startup of new products at facilities including all required production related documentation being complete and available to co-manufacturer, achieving agreed upon timelines and compliance with Nestlé requirements. Ensure performance targets for assigned sites are being adhered to, including attainment, budgeting, costs (e.g. usage, PPV, tolling), savings targets, monthly variance reconciliation, consumer complaint reduction and first time right. Serve as the primary point of contact and liaison between the co-manufacturer and key internal interfaces to drive innovation & renovation concepts and project execution. Provide project leadership to coordinate cross-functional activities at contract manufacturer to ensure project is executed against timelines and budgets (PRO). Have a professional curiosity and entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation throughout product portfolios and manufacturing processes in contract manufacturing sites. Have a broad technical skillset and end-to-end understanding of manufacturing processes along with strong cross-functional relationships to leverage through project execution and routine business practices. Ensure all co-manufacturers are fully compliant with Nestlé requirements and contract manufacturing agreements. Foster relationships with existing contract manufacturers and be able to establish new working relationships when new contract manufacturers are brought into the network. Lead, coach and develop the team by setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, building capabilities and enabling strong execution across business priorities. Management responsibility for significant segment(s) of individual OpCo or overall Co-Manufacturing strategy. Build a winning culture by driving accountability, promoting business ownership and fostering a high-performance mindset across the team and key cross-functional partners. Drive clarity on goals and priorities by aligning team objectives with business needs, ensuring focus on the highest-impact activities and reinforcing ownership of results. Key Outputs / Deliverables Make or Buy (4%): SPOC internally and externally to ensures the right resources are gathered for Make-or-buy analysis. Ensure that all projects outsourced to 3rd parties undergo an annual review with the relevant business, Procurement and Technical teams. Make recommendations on optimal Manufacturing solution between Co-Manufacturers/Packers and Nestlé factories, for decision by the Technical Manager in consultation with the Category BEM, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance Directors as appropriate. Co-Manufacturing Strategy Management & Development (12%): Management responsibility for significant segment(s) of individual OpCo or overall Co-Manufacturing strategy. Develops and ensures Co-Manufacturing strategy is aligned to the Business strategy and MBS ambitions. Leads the capability assessment process, including coordination of required assessments and audits. Ensuring any proposal to outsource supply is properly evaluated as required by ST21.116. Contract Management (5%): Accountable to ensure all Contracts are in place and relevant to the Business and Manufacturing strategy. Supplier Management (15%): Overall accountability for Operational Reviews. Ensuring the relevant Nestlé tools are utilized, appropriate KPIs, measures and mechanisms are in place to manage and continually improve site performance. Exit/Exception Management (1%): Align with the business and relevant stakeholders to agree on sites that are to be exited and the associated timelines. Support Procurement to ensure contractual obligations in the agreement are followed. Financial Stability (3%): Ensure that effective financial control is maintained for core Co-packers/manufacturers in line with Nestlé standards. Provide full, accurate and timely financial information to facilitate effective decision-making regarding raw materials, packaging materials, labor, and overall site performance. Continuous Improvement (5%): Identify TDC opportunities and ensure delivery of annual Operational Excellence targets and proactively scan the market to understand capabilities/capacities/compliance of potential contract manufacturers. Supply (25%): Accountability for Co-Manufacturer purchased raw materials, packaging materials, site capacity and capability to meet projected Nestlé Demand plans. Innovation (30%): Lead Co-Manufacturing relationships to deliver innovative/renovative solutions. Focus on scouting co-mans opportunities to deliver business profitability and growth. People Development: Lead, coach and develop 1-4 team members; build a winning culture through accountability, business ownership and high performance; and ensure clarity on goals, priorities, and expected outcomes. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Food Science, Business Administration, or related fields required. EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS Multi-disciplinary Expert in Co-Manufacturing. Abilit